Disclaimer: Same shit, different chapter. I own nothing. Quit asking.

A/N: In the flashbacks the years are rounded, they are not exact. Please bear with me. Oh I have a surprise for you in chapter 7. You'll just have to wait and see what it is.

Two World's Apart

Chapter 5: Sorry for Everything, Goodbye for Good

Wakka sat in the cold plastic chair beside Rikku's bed. He'd spent the last three hours by her side and the two before that in the hospital chapel praying for her life. He never had wanted her to ever have to feel the slightest bit of pain yet in his efforts to shield her from the horrors of his mistakes he only ended up hurting her worse. Now she lay still in the hospital bed with a zillion different tubes coming out of her. She was on a respirator because she couldn't breathe for herself. Her skin was unusually pale against the white sheets; her skin cold compared to its usual warmth. This all brought so much sorrow to his heart but her heart gave him strength and hope because it was still beating strong. He thanked Yevon that she was still alive. Whoever the sick bastard was, he was going to hunt the coward down and kill him.

The bullet had been a mere three inches from her heart. It had pierced her left lung causing it to collapse. If it hadn't been for Baralai casting multiple curagas on her he knew that she would be dead. He owed the young Praetor his gratitude and so much more. Wakka couldn't help but wonder if Baralai was still in love with Rikku. They had spent quite a bit of time in Bevelle together and he was pretty sure their relationship was more that just a friendship. But Baralai is a married man and has a kid on the way, he told himself, dismissing the thought. If the Praetor is anything like myself and I'm correct that he and Rikku were more than just friends then he was most definitely having one hell of an inner struggle.

Wakka placed his hands on Rikku's still form and rested his head upon them. Her heart still beat strong. He knew she would pull through. She just had too. She was his best friend. His muse. His heart. His soul. He knew that to having these feelings were wrong because he was a married man. He had vowed before Yevon to never act upon those feelings. But wasn't it enough? Did Rikku have to die for it?

Besaid Island-4 years Ago

1 year after Eternal Calm Began

The gray clouds sailed by overhead; little crystal droplets fell from the pale sky. It hardly ever rained in Besaid. Maybe about four times a year, if even that. The island was always lush and beautiful. Rikku paced the floor of her kitchen waiting for Wakka's arrival. He had called her earlier in the day and told her that they needed to talk. It had been a month since their bitter break up and the blond Al Bhed girl missed her red headed Yevonite. She really hoped that he was coming to patch things up between the two of them. She really didn't want to throw a relationship away over one of her childish actions. She had wanted Wakka to drop everything and come to D'jose with her. It was stupid. But she was only sixteen. It had been an immature mistake. Rikku had invested so much time, energy, love, hope, and faith into what she and Wakka had together.

A dripping wet Wakka enter her kitchen through the back door. He had a grim look on his face. And deep down Rikku knew that it had nothing to do with the harsh weather that he had just come out of. An eerie feeling crept up her spine as she studied the man before her. Something was terribly wrong.

"Wakka!" She squealed as she ran across the kitchen and threw her arms around him.

"Ri, hey...how ya been?" He replied in a low voice as he stiffly held her with one arm.

Rikku pulled away from him as she sensed his hesitation. "Kika, is something the matter?" She asked in an inaudible voice. Wakka looked up and met her tear-filled gaze before nodding his head solemnly. Her first instinct had been dead on. Something was wrong.

"Ri..."he started still staring at the tears that had welled up in her eyes.

"Just tell me, Wakka," she said taking a few steps away from him. "Just tell me what it is. Is it bad?"

There was a long uneasy silence between the two of them. Neither had the courage to break the silence for the fear of the pain that would ensue. Wakka leaned in and gently kissed her, teasing her lips apart. Kissing her deeply, he caressed her tongue with his. After what seemed like an eternity Wakka finally pulled away and spoke.

"Lulu's pregnant," he mumbled.

"WHAT!" She roared.

"Lulu's pregnant."

"What did you fucking say?"

"I said Lulu is PREGNANT!"

"Oh Yevon, tell me you're not the father."

"Ri, if I told you that, I'd be lying to you."

Rikku turned away from him. She slid to the floor until she was on her knees. She put her face in her hands and began to sob. "How could you?" She yelled, "I thought you loved me. I thought I mean something to you. You promised you'd never break my heart!"

"I do love you. I made a mistake. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"What are you going to do?" She asked wiping tears from her cheeks.

"I'm going to marry her" he whispered in a pained voice.

"WHAT?" She said turning to look at him through bloodshot eyes. "What the fuck is this? Goodbye?"

"Yeah, sorry for everything. Goodbye for good." He said as he turned to the door.

"GET THE FUCK OUT!"

That night Rikku packed her belongings and headed for D'jose. She would never come back to this place. Never. She swore to it. There were just held too many painful memories. And she never wanted to feel this way again.

Wakka lifted his head and took her frail hands into his large masculine ones. "Rikku, E's cunno. I never meant for any of this to happen. If only If only I hadn't let Lulu comfort me after our fight. If only I had stayed. I could have protected you. And then you wouldn't be laying here in this bed fighting for your life. Bmayca vunkeja sa

Moments later Gippal walked into the room. "There's been some new information" the young leader of the Machine Faction said. "The bullet that was removed from Rikku's lung and the metal for the lighter that was dropped when Lady Yuna's house was set on fire both have the same crest engraved into them. I spoke with Baralai and he informed me that it was the Sacred Bevellian Crest of the Summoner. Only a select few receive it. Only those who were actually sent to fight Sin received one. I also had a word with Lady Yuna and she said she had a crest like that only hers had the symbol of Besaid on it because that was where she joined with her very first aeon.

"So what's all this mean?" He asked with growing agitation.

"It means that we're dealing with an ex-summoner."

AL Bhed Translations

E's cunno -I'm sorry

Bmayca vunkeja sa-Please forgive me.